The calgary housing market is a f***ing mess and i am finding it near impossible to find a home that would accept a cat let alone two large dogs.

I am obviously freaking out.

i don't want to lose my babies, but it's not economical for me to keep them....i just got a new job and have like 4g in debt.

my parents are unable to care for them, but have offered to let me stay at their house which is out of the city... i can keep my dogs while i stay here and sort my life out...and hope in a couple of months that i can find a place that can take dogs.

*sob*

i just don't know what to do!

jesse's mommy

August 1st, 2006, 10:13 PM

Is there anyway you can buy his half out or vice versa?

Prin

August 1st, 2006, 10:17 PM

Aww :grouphug: :grouphug: Is there anyway you can get a place outside the city? Maybe your half could be worth something whole further away?:o Good for you for getting out though.:highfive: :grouphug:

.unknown.

August 1st, 2006, 10:35 PM

the avg price of a home in calgary is $450 000

it only goes down slightly around the city and i don't drive.

I can't even afford rent on my own in this city.

Prin

August 1st, 2006, 10:44 PM

Move here.. $250,000 gets you a really nice house...:o

I don't know what other options there are... You could maybe rent a house with other people? :o Sorry, I'm not being too helpful.:o

:grouphug:

heidiho

August 1st, 2006, 10:44 PM

Did you not read this,what about your ex buying you out>>>:rolleyes:

jiorji

August 1st, 2006, 11:18 PM

can you get a restraining order on him? that way you could keep the house?

I'm not sure if that works out the way i'm thinking, but might be worth a try

Prin

August 1st, 2006, 11:20 PM

Did you not read this,what about your ex buying you out>>>:rolleyes:
The problem with that is her half of the house isn't enough to get another house.:sad:

heidiho

August 1st, 2006, 11:30 PM

BUt is is something,in the meantime you can stay at your parents and save some more...And maybe move to a place less expensive

Prin

August 1st, 2006, 11:42 PM

Yeah, she'd have to completely relocate though. Most of the cities in Canada have sky-rocketing real-estate markets.:rolleyes:

.unknown.

August 1st, 2006, 11:44 PM

well my options as a common law partner are that i can get him to buy me out...or get some sort of order for the asset to be sold and split between us.

that would give me money to rent.

but vacancy in calgary is at like .2% or something silly...

we bought our place two years ago. at $123 500...we stand to make some dough...

When the market was slow back when we rented fidning a house for one big dog was hard enough. Why would they rent to me, when they can rent to someone without dogs....it's no longer a renter's choice.

for a single puppy mom...it's totally lame.

I feel so hopeless. Like i should find them a new home...

my heart is ****ing breaking....

jawert1

August 1st, 2006, 11:53 PM

Now don't go there, no reason just yet to assume all hope is lost and you have to get rid of your furries. First off, congrats for recognizing you need out of a really ugly situation. Secondly, it's time to start compiling as much info as you can, hit craigslist, hit your local paper for housing options/want ads, most major metro areas in the states have some sort of apartment guide. Make a list of real estate agents in your area and hit their websites for rentals. Chart out your finances, monthly in and out. Find out what you can live without and what absolutely has to stay (even if you're already on a tight budget - go over it again). Your parents above all else can be negotiated with - I learned this from years of living with a "benevolent dictator" (love my dad but he's a bit of a pain at times). Find out what they can swing and what they can't, and see if you can work in those confines. Given the option of you in an abusive situation or homeless, I'm thinking they'll opt on the side of dealing with dog/cat hair for a bit till you're on your feet. And thirdly, get your side of things with the ex in writing and sorted as soon as humanly possible so this doesn't drag out and end up costing you more than just your time. The quicker you can move on this, the better chance you have for a decent down payment on your next place. Chin up, keep moving, you're on to a better start :) It's easy to get overwhelmed by it all, but you have to stay logical and rational. :grouphug:

Prin

August 1st, 2006, 11:55 PM

I agree, don't go there. My brother found a place in doggy-hater montreal with two pitties, so I'm sure you can find one over there.:fingerscr :fingerscr

OntarioGreys

August 2nd, 2006, 07:10 AM

What kind of work do you do? Maybe relocating is an option?
In the meantime get yourself a drivers licence so you can make yourself more independent.

St. Catherines still has plenty of homes for under a $150,000 it is close enough to Hamilton, Niagara Falls, Burlington and oakville for work

Chatham is another area where house prices are quite low but driving distance to larger sities like London and Windsor is a little farther but still drivable, I plan to head that way in a few years if the prices stay down as I get closer to retirement, so I can have retire to an even nicer home than I currently have and maybe allowing me to retire a couple years earlier with the difference that my home sells for
http://www.mls.ca/PropertyResults.aspx?Mode=0&Page=1&vs=1&rlt=&cp=&pt=0&mp=100000-200000-0&mrt=-1-0-0&Beds=0-0&Baths=0-0&f=&ft=all&o=A&of=1&ps=10&ptgid=1&aid=1482&MapURL=%3fAreaID%3d1482

If you split assets, you could have enough to buy a home outright in these areas you have the ability to relocate, have enough enough for a newer used car or van (1 or 2 years old), and pick up some furniture as in a house package deal.

Prin

August 2nd, 2006, 11:54 AM

Yeah, I'm thinking of all the resources we have here, like, for example, Communauto, that lets you pay a monthly fee as per your usage of a car that makes it cheaper than renting or taking taxis if you need the car on a regular basis... You know, little organizations that help you get what you need to get back on your feet. But I don't know Calgary at all...:o

pitgrrl

August 2nd, 2006, 12:27 PM

I agree, don't go there. My brother found a place in doggy-hater montreal with two pitties, so I'm sure you can find one over there.:fingerscr :fingerscr

haha, me too. Not an easy task, but it can be done.
As others have mentionned, be really organized, go through every newspaper, online housing boards, university housing sites, ect. and compile a huge list to work from.
Also, try putting an ad on craigslist, detailing what you're looking for. You never know what might come up.
It's also recommended to make a doggie c.v. Have your dogs passed any ob classes? CGN? Are they crate trained? Can you get anyone, like your vet or trainer, to write letters of reference for your dogs? Can you get personal liability insurance that will cover your dogs aswell?

Don't think about it in terms of "why would they want to rent to me?" There are people out there that would rather rent to someone who is responsible, and shows this in how they care for their dogs, than someone without pets who is going to cause a bunch of problems.
Good luck!

Prin

August 2nd, 2006, 12:30 PM

Some people also say to avoid saying anything until you go to sign the lease.. If the lease says "no pets" then you have to come clean, if not... :evil:

we3beagles

August 2nd, 2006, 02:51 PM

forget compiling a list. If you see them call them immediately. Have a room mate all lined up and get your ducks in a row. Most renters have a back list of people waiting to rent from them in Calgary. My friend has been searching for months looking for an apartment for her and her boyfriend - no pets. There is just nothing out there. Start talking to people around you. You never know who knows a friend of a friend who's looking to rent their place. I'll keep my ears open for you. If you have no furniture off the start so what. You need to get out of the situation before it spirals out of control. Loads of garage sales and such coming up and check out usedcalgary.com. Even if she doesn't say anything to the landlord till she is ready to sign the lease they probably will break the deal because he has a back list of renters. She needs to be upfront and possibly play on the old heart strings of some unsuspecting landlord. Hope this helps a little. With your half of the profit you could probably afford a townhouse with a roommate. Maybe not in the best area of town, but it would afford you a backyard for your dogs and no landlord to deal with. First thing first. Find a roommate.

heidiho

August 2nd, 2006, 03:20 PM

I dont know the laws out there,but here you can actually get a prescription from your doctor saying you have to have a pet for medical reasons(anxiety,depression) i was gonna do that if they didnt allow pets where we are moving to..Check that out there